Of Lovers and Rivals
by nanana-i
Summary: [In the same universe as The Man inside the Mirror] Motonari and Motochika have known each other for basically forever. Motonari hated him at first, but as he grows older with Motochika still by his side, he realized that he might not hate him anyway. !Warning: Mention of smut, but not enough to be in Mature rating!


**Disclaimer: Sengoku Basara is Capcom's. I own nothing but the story!**

 **Warning! Mention of sex, but isn't described enough to be in the Mature category, I think?**

* * *

 **Of Lovers and Rivals**

Love. Love was the last thing on Motonari's mind when he met a loud boy with purple eyepatch on the first day of kindergarten. This loud boy who wears an eyepatch on his left eye and a jacket he hung on his shoulder approached him with his friends and asked him if he'd like to join the group. Obviously, Motonari said no.

The boy, Motochika, was a persistent one. He kept coming back and Motonari would either keep ignoring him or yelled at him to leave him alone. But it never worked. It never _works_.

When Motonari entered Grade School, he was grateful to know that Motochika didn't go to the same school as he did. But the Chosokabe family lives near the foster family Motonari lived in at that time. So, being the loud and annoying boy he always had been, Motochika would call for Motonari in front of the gate and Motonari would have to come out just to shut him up.

As soon as Motonari entered Junior High School, he started saving. He started saving so he could have his own place, so he didn't have to keep relying on the orphanage or the foster family. Motochika, who miraculously managed to get into the same Junior High as he did, and kept bothering Motonari like he always did. Motochika knew about Motonari's saving because he had never seen Motonari buying food from the cafeteria. He would either sleep his hunger off during lunch or bought milk from the vending machine.

Motochika knew, so he asked his mother to make a bigger lunch box, he also told her about Motonari's condition. Motonari only had a father, who later passed away when he was still in kindergarten. His father was the only child and his grandparents were long gone, so Motonari had no one. After Motonari got admitted into the orphanage, he became even more grumpier than he already was.

Like Motochika, Motochika's mother adored Motonari, and would invite Motonari to eat dinner with the family, but Motonari would only sometimes took on that offer. After all, Mrs. Chosokabe's food was way better than the food they served in the orphanage. His mother adored Motonari, so she agreed to make a special lunch box everyday for the sake of Motonari.

The lunch box had nothing special for Motochika, just some rice, mini sausages, egg roll, and some vegetables. But for the first time since he knew Motonari, he witnessed Motonari blushed a little when he saw it, not that Motonari would admit.

Motonari has sharp tongue and is stubborn to the point Motochika would lose his patience. They fought all the time. Yet, they would keep making up no matter how bad their fights were.

Little by little, Motonari's hatred towards Motochika decreased. He would never admit it, but the days Motochika got so busy with his club activities that he didn't have time to bug him to go home together made him a little lonely. Just a little.

Since Motochika was so busy with his club, Motonari decided to busy himself and joined the student council. It wasn't long until Motonari earned the entire student council members' trust. On their senior year, Motonari became the head of student council and was far busier than Motochika. They no longer went home together.

One early Saturday morning, Motochika visited Motonari's foster family's house and called him out to hang out with him. Motonari was a morning person, so he was already awake. But not his foster family. So he sneaked out and scolded Motochika for being so loud.

They jogged to a nearby shrine that morning. Motonari regretted his decision to came along because Motochika, the idiot oaf, took no breaks during their jog. Motonari was never as fit as Motochika, and Motochika knew that. Whenever Motonari started slowing down, he would grab his hand and dragged him to run the same pace as he did. That oaf.

They began to jog regularly every weekend since then.

One day, a friend of Motochika's said that he saw the two of them jogging by the neighbourhood and asked if he could come along. Motonari didn't care either way, so he shrugged and looked at Motochika. To his surprise, Motochika said no.

Motochika became strange, he became even clingier than he already was. When the finals were near, they would study together after their jog, and Motochika would purposefully hugged Motonari from behind. Motonari would slap his arms and pushed him away, of course.

Motochika and Motonari were never in the same class, except for that one time in kindergarten. It never bothered Motonari, but it seemed to bother Motochika a lot.

Even in high school, Motochika would come to Motonari's class to eat lunch with him. Motonari almost had enough money to rent his own place that time, so he still provided Motonari his lunch. Now that they were in high school, Motonari got a part time job and were getting closer and closer to having his own place like he had always wanted.

After school, Motonari always went straight to work. He worked at a pretty fancy café and Motochika, Masamune, Ieyasu, and Keiji would come to see him work when they had the money. Motonari would never admit it, but their presence made him felt a sense of relief. Especially Motochika's.

* * *

It wasn't long until Motonari realized that he was, in fact, had a crush on Motochika.

* * *

He didn't have the gut to say it, so he stayed quiet about it. Motochika must be straight, he thought, seeing how he always flirted with their beautiful teacher, Magoichi Saika.

When Motonari finally got his own place, he was on his second year. It was also his secretly favourite year since he was finally in the same class as Motochika. The group invited themselves to his new place and celebrated it with a couple of pizzas and fizzy drinks. Masamune called it their new "Headquarter" for those times when they needed to hang out but have no money to go anywhere. Motonari complained and refused, but it's not like they ever listened to him before, anyway.

Motonari got a new shift at his job and he got a couple of hours free before he had to go to work. On those free hours, he spent it on the school library. He loved the smell, and he loved looking at the mirror there.

The mirror must be a magic mirror since it didn't show his reflection. It showed him something else instead. It showed him two man who looked like Motochika and him, clad in their purple and green armour. They would fight, they would dine, they would talk, and on rare occasions, they would kiss.

It made him blush to see them kissed, since they looked so much like Motochika and him. But he could never look elsewhere. Because he wanted to do it too. He wanted to pull Motochika down and kiss him, but he was afraid of being rejected. He decided to pretend he never imagined doing such things, instead.

Motonari had always been very smart, and early on his last year of high school, he got an invitation from a good university in Osaka under one condition: he needed to move to a particular College Prep school there in Osaka after the semester ended.

Motonari kept the invitation a secret from his friends. He decided he would say it to Motochika first, and the rest later. So he did.

He invited Motochika to his flat, and showed him the invitation letter. Motochika was silent.

Then, he unexpectedly hugged him. Motonari stayed still, not knowing what to do. He didn't even know what to feel. On one side, he wanted Motochika to asked him to not go, but on the other side, he wanted Motochika to congratulate him.

Motochika did the latter, and Motonari was angry. He pushed him and straddled him in-between his legs. He didn't know what happened to him, but he felt strangely aggressive. He yanked Motochika's hair so he would look him in the eyes, and he leaned down to kiss him hard.

Motochika was shocked, he didn't respond to the kiss and Motonari was hurt. He clenched his fist and pulled away.

"Leave," Motonari said, standing up and walked toward the door.

Motochika, still dazed, obeyed Motonari and left with blank look on his face. After Motonari slammed the door close, he curled up and bit his lips, his heart ached and he didn't feel like moving.

* * *

The next day, Motonari still went to school. He still hung out with the team. He still talked to Motochika, ignoring his aching heart. Motochika looked like he wanted to say something, Motonari knew what that "something" would be, but he never said a thing until the school ended.

"Motonari, you know we should talk," Motochika finally said. The students were starting to leave their classroom, now that the school had just ended.

"I have work," Replied Motonari coldly.

"I know you have three hours before work, Motonari."

Motonari sighed, "My old foster family wanted me to have some tea with them before work."

"Then I'll wait until your shift ends."

"My shift," Motonari walked towards the door, "Ended at ten. You should stay at home and sleep," he sneered. Then he walked away from the classroom.

Work was slow and boring that day, not that Motonari was complaining. Thanks to that, he had time to do his homework. One of Motonari's coworkers was a senior at his Junior High, and though they had never been very close, he would help Motonari by tending the customers whenever Motonari was doing his homework doing slow days.

* * *

Motochika was nowhere to be seen when the work was done and Motonari felt a weird combination of disappointment and relief at the same time. With that weird feeling, he walked home silently.

And there Motochika was; right in front of his flat's door.

Motonari sighed, then approached him calmly.

"You should go home," He said calmly as he unlocked the door.

"Not until we talk," Motochika glared at him. Motonari gulped and gave in, holding the door for Motochika.

As they stepped into the small yet cozy flat, Motonari closed the door and turned around to face Motochika.

"You know, it's alright. We're still going to be friends. I'm not going to distance myself, but I won't stop you if _you_ do. I know you like girls, that's fine. I don't know why I did that, though. That was stupid," Motonari said in one breath.

"Are you done?"

Motonari shook his head and sighs, "Can we forget that happened please?"

Motonari was surprised by Motochika's big, calloused hand as it strokes his cheek. He gathered his courage, or what's left of it, and looked at Motochika right in his eyes.

"Motonari," Motochika sighed as he brought his face closer to the smaller man.

As if on reflex, Motonari looked down at his feet before their lips meet, resulting Motochika's lips to land on the bridge of his nose, instead. But Motochika didn't stop. He moved and planted kiss all over his face. On his cheeks, eyes, forehead, and on the corner of his lips.

He lifted Motonari's head to get a good look at his face and smiles at the reddened face. Motochika chuckled and brought their forehead together.

"May I kiss you?" he asked, purposefully bringing his lips almost touching Motonari's.

Motonari's face got even redder than it already was, "You barbarian,"

Motochika smirked, "What was that?"

Motonari tried to turn his head elsewhere, but Motochika's hand held him from doing so. He took a deep breath and grabbed a handful of Motochika's shirt.

"Yes."

And with that, Motochika leaned in and kissed him. At first sweet and gently, but it turned hungry as they fought for dominance. Somewhere between their kisses, they ended up inside Motonari's bedroom, on the bed, with minimum clothing on their body.

"You don't know," Motochika nipped at Motonari's neck, making the other whimpers softly, "How long I've been waiting for this."

"What," Motonari breathed out as Motochika removes hid shirt, making him almost naked with the exception of his boxer. Motonari blushed at his nakedness. He curled up to hide his body, but Motochika grabbed his hands, muttering something about him being beautiful. Motonari decided to hide his face instead, "What do you mean you've been waiting?"

Motochika pulled away to remove his own shirt and smirked at the way Motonari stared at his body. "It means," He leaned in to close their distance, "I've never been not not having innocent thoughts when I'm with you."

Motonari grabbed Motochika's hair and pulled him into a kiss, in which Motochika smirked into and somehow managed to remove Motonari's boxers without Motonari noticing.

"I love you," Motochika whispered softly in Motonari's ears. Motonari will never admit it, but Motochika can see tears in Motonari's eyes. Motonari didn't say anything, but he finally opened himself completely; completely surrendering to the man on top of him.

The next day, for the first time in Motonari's life, he chose to forget about school and spent the day with Motochika. Doing their usual banters and stuff. It's more than what Motonari thought he deserved.

* * *

The last weekend of summer the year after they got together was the first time Motonari lived in a place where Motochika wasn't. They talked via skype everynight. They had nothing to fight for, but it got boring when they don't, so they would start a fight on purpose. And they would always, always make up.

* * *

"You should have stayed in Tokyo with Tokugawa," Motonari says out of the blue.

They are both in university now, and they are _finally_ living together. Motochika's family knew about their relationship and had approved of it, especially Motochika's mum. They go to different universities and their house is equally as close, or far, to their universities.

Motochika frowns, "Huh?"

Motonari stares blankly at Motochika, then turns away to continue cooking their dinner, "Forget I said that."

Motochika refuses to accept the answer. He approaches Motonari and hugs him from behind, "You don't want me to be here?"

Motonari sighs as he feels Motochika's soft kisses on his neck, "That's not what I meant," he puts the knife down and turns to face Motochika. "It feels weird having you living together with me."

"Weird how?" Motochika chuckles.

"It's… I don't know. It's just weird," Motonari tilts his head, "Forget I said anything."

"Yeah, yeah," Motochika teases, kissing Motonari's forehead, "I'm happy to be living with you too."

 _Happiness, huh? Yeah, maybe this is what it's called._

* * *

 **A/N: I love Setouchi pairing they're my 2nd favorite after IeMitsu!**

 **Let me know what you think about this story! Constructive critics are welcome!**


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